Abandoned By Fate
by Mikauzoran
Summary: Not all diseases are curable. Not all people are truthful about their motives. What really motivates Yoh to be Shaman King?


Mikau: I'm up super late writing this, (the idea just came to me) so I don't expect it to be as good as I had hoped. Also, sadly I'm not good at writing in Morty's POV, so that's not so great. I do like the plot though. Please enjoy despite the obvious flaws.

**_Disclaimer:_** Guess who doesn't own Shaman King? Me! My parents are also still paying off this laptop for me, so I technically don't own the laptop yet either. Thank God for jello.

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

Ever since I met Yoh Asakura, things have been different. I found out about shamans, the Shaman Fight, and even that I myself can see ghosts even if I'm not a shaman! But I think my favorite thing about shamans is all their different goals once they become Shaman King. Trey wants to save the Koropokur people, Jocko wants to make a world full of laughter, Ren wants to rule the world, Jeanne wants peace, Lyserg wants to kill Hao, Hao wants to save the world, and Yoh wants to be lazy.

At least that's what it seemed like at first. Yoh was always laid back and never worried about anything. He always talked about how when he became Shaman King he was going to sleep, eat, and take it easy. I had always accepted that as a fact, because it went along so well with his personality. I never stopped to think and question his motives. Not until that day…that day that his true goal was revealed, and nothing could have prepared me for it.

I arrived at the Asakura inn at seven o'clock like I usually did every Saturday morning. I was prepared to do a variety of chores that Anna dished out for me; man she is _scary!_ I was surprised when I bumped into Yoh and Anna on their way out of the house. "Hey guys! Where are you going?" I asked as I looked up (way up) at them.

"Oh! Morty!" Yoh seemed shocked to see me. "I'm sorry Morty! I completely forgot to tell you that Anna and I wouldn't be home today!"

"Yoh, you forgetful moron! I reminded you yesterday to tell him!" Anna scowled at her fiancée.

"Sorry." Yoh shrank under Anna's cold gaze.

"Where are you heading to? Can I come along?" I couldn't wait, knowing Yoh it was probably to meet another shaman or something else exciting.

"Well…we're going to visit someone." Yoh looked at Anna unsurely. Anna thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "And, sure. I don't think it will hurt anything that much if you come."

I sprung straight up to about Yoh's shoulder and shouted "Yes!"

I was more than a little surprised when we stopped in front of a hospital. "Uh..Yoh?"

"Huh, Morty?"

"Who exactly are we visiting anyway?" I finished my question not quite sure if I should go along on a visit to a sick person I didn't know. It might be a little rude, especially if it was a sick family member.

"Her name is Etta. She's a shaman who summons spirits like Anna, but fights with them like me. She's really nice and will be happy to meet you." Yoh smiled at me, like only Yoh can, to let me know everything would be all right.

We walked inside the hospital and right up to the front desk. The receptionist recognized Yoh and Anna and greeted them by name. "Yoh! Anna! It's been three months since you last visited! I had begun to think that you weren't ever coming back! I suppose you're here to see Etta?"

Anna nodded. Yoh winked at the receptionist, "Nah! We wouldn't just disappear on Etta! What's she up to today, Gracie?"

Gracie's face darkened a bit as she spoke "She's up in the children's unit doing service for her scholarship. I'm sorry Yoh. You came on a bad day."

Yoh nodded and let out a sigh. "I don't suppose she's talking about her upcoming trip, is she?"

Gracie nodded grimly.

"Thank you, Gracie." Anna jumped in.

Yoh and Anna lead me in silence to the second floor of the hospital and into a big playroom for children. There among the children was a beautiful teenage girl with chest length light brown hair and facial features similar to Yoh's.

"Etta!" Yoh called out to the girl. She looked up and rolled her eyes as she broke into a brilliant smile. Her immense beauty floored me. Her clothes were simple though; she wore a plain white shirt similar to Yoh's and a blue jean skirt that came to mid thigh. Around her neck was a chain with a little orange headphones charm.

The girl walked up to Yoh and pretended to scowl, but just ended up laughing at herself. "Yoh what are you doing here? I'm trying to work!"

"I just had to check up on you to see if everything was okay." Yoh embraced the girl and kissed her on the cheek.

"It's great to see you, Anna." Etta moved over to Anna and gave her a hug. To my amazement Anna hugged her back! And smiled! Anna! A real smile! "You too." She replied.

"God, Yoh! You were just here yesterday! Are you that worried about my trip that you need to 'check up' on me every day! You've come every day this week."

"I thought Gracie said that Yoh and Anna hadn't been to visit you for three months; how could Yoh have been here everyday this week?" I asked genuinely confused.

Etta jumped at the new voice and looked around the room searching for its origin. "Who was that?" she asked.

"Down here." I aided her in her 'quest for the invisible person.'

"Oh. Who are you, cutie?" Etta sat down to be on my eye level.

I blushed the color of Anna's bandana and was unable to say a word. Luckily Yoh answered for me. "This is my friend, Morty. Morty, this is Etta."

"Nice to meet you." She held out her hand to shake.

It took everything I had in me to respond "The pleasure is mine."

Etta shot back up to her feet and withdrew something from her pocket. It was some sort of card, but from my vantage point I couldn't see exactly what kind of card it was. Whatever it was, Etta was now waving it proudly in front of Yoh's face. "Aren't ya proud of me? I got my permit a few weeks ago! I just didn't show you until now, because I wanted it to be a special surprise."

Yoh looked at the girl before him with a forced smile on his face. Something was wrong…I just couldn't put my finger on it yet. Suddenly I found the card being forced into my face.

"Isn't it a pretty picture of me? I just got that dress I'm wearing in the picture a few weeks ago, the day before I got my permit, I think." I looked over the permit carefully, and I notice the most peculiar thing: she said she just got this a few weeks ago, but the instatement date read May 2003!

"This is dated two years ago." I stated simply.

"What!" she grabbed her permit back from me and studied it with the utmost care. "No, it's right. A few days after my birthday a few weeks ago." Etta looked up and out the window at the snow flurries. "Hey! Why's it snowing in June?"

'Because it's December.' I thought. I was about to voice this thought when Yoh bet me to it. "Some shaman from the North are here, and they love snowboarding. I wouldn't be surprised if they were causing the storm."

"Oh. Okay. Well I hope they stop the snow in time for my trip." Etta bought Yoh's explanation easily and started talking about her trip. "I talked to Seth this morning. He just got his license, and is all set to drive us to Ireland! I can't wait to go! We're leaving tomorrow, first thing!"

Suddenly I felt something cold and wet fall on my head. I looked up to catch a glimpse of Anna softly crying.

"It was great seeing you, Etta. Have fun on your trip. I'm gonna head home now. Yoh, you can stay as long as you like." Anna excused herself.

'I wonder what has Anna so upset? She **_never_** cries!' I panicked.

"Goodbye, Anna. Yoh, I know you and the rest of the family don't want me to go, but this is what I really want! This is my chance to tour the world! Once I get home from Ireland, things won't ever be the same. I just know it's gonna be great!" Etta hugged Yoh and me goodbye before saying "I have to get back to the kids now, but I'll see you once Seth and I get back next week, okay? Bye!"

Etta raced off to rejoin the children, and Anna, Yoh, and I walked all the way back to the inn in the snow and silence.

Once we got inside the warmth I asked, "Yoh, who was that girl?" Surprising myself at how bluntly rude I sounded.

Yoh only smiled sadly and answered, "I knew you were going to ask about her. Well, I'm not going to lie. I'll tell you all about her and why she's like she is. She's my baby sister Etta Asakura. She was doing service work at that hospital two years ago as service work towards a medical scholarship when she graduated high school and college. She had some older friends, and one of them, Seth, had just gotten his driving license. It was June 2003; time for summer vacation. Etta had always been obsessed with travel, and as a birthday gift, Seth was driving her to Ireland for a week or two. Our family was against letting someone who _just _got their license to drive that far with Etta in the car, but Etta wouldn't listen. No one could stop her from going, and that was that. So she got into the car that morning and that night there was a storm. Seth couldn't see where he was going and slid over the side of a cliff. The car flipped over several times and landed upside down. Seth was didn't make it, but Etta survived. It probably would have been better if she had died, though. She's been at that hospital for two years now. The doctors can't help her. They can't bring back her long-term memory. So she wakes up in the morning and thinks it's the day before she's suppose to go to Ireland. There's no cure for her condition, but some days she has her memory completely restored and remembers everything again. But on the days she remembers, she is really sick and usually can't get out of bed much." Yoh stopped. Tears silently rolled down his cheeks, and Anna had long left the room because of the bad memories.

I turned to leave, so as not to disturb Yoh, but he stopped me and whispered, "I made her a promise: when I become Shaman King I'll find a permanent cure, and we'll travel the world together."

The room fell silent, and I managed to sneak away back to my own home to contemplate the day's events. 'No. I could never have prepared myself for the terror and suffering that lay right below the surface of the care-free and lazy shaman, Yoh Asakura.' It was now clear that Yoh did have something to lose. More than most.

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

Mikau: Yes, not my best work, but what do you expect at 12:28 AM? I hope you like it anyway. I do. Let me know.

PLEASE REVIEW!


End file.
